Now that Chase Headley will miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season, is a fast start for the Padres out of the question?

Yes, easily.

It was out of the question even before the team's top player fractured the tip of his left thumb. Over the past three weeks, seven Padres had been sidelined with injuries. Now it's eight, with the most recent doubling as the most untimely. Any team this banged up, no matter how high the payroll, would be lucky to stay above .500 for long.

In the Padres' case, their 3-4-5 hitters are either hurting or suspended. Their top pitching prospect, whom some had pegged as a Rookie of the Year candidate, is headed for Tommy John surgery. We could go on, but you've already heard enough...

So what, given the circumstances, would qualify as a decent start for the Padres? Here's one way to view the April schedule:

Two series vs. the Dodgers, Giants and Rockies

One series vs. the Brewers, Cubs and Mets

A mixed bag, as far as I can tell.

The Padres will see the defending World Series champions, Magic Johnson's well-compensated stars and the improved Brewers.

But they'll also get six meetings with the lowly Rockies, while the rest come against two potential last-place teams.

I'm not a fan of predicting records, especially with all the moving parts and injuries floating around. But let's just say the Padres would do well to win 10 to 12 of April's 26 games.

Even if the Padres do start slooowww, it should be an intriguing start. Who doesn't want to see Jedd Gyorko and Logan Forsythe playing every day at some combination of second and third?